Post by Geriatric horsewoman on Oct 21, 2007 12:39:12 GMT
Question:
You have a horse, who when loose with a saddle on, picks up the correct lead both directions in canter, no bother. Back and saddle checked.
With (nearly any) rider on board, horse will only canter on one lead, in either direction.
Other people have ridden horse, same result. The only guy owner has even see get horse on correct lead on the tricky rein, is when she brought horse to show, judge rode horse, and on his 3rd attempt he got horse to do it. Has had good riders at a few yards try to no avail.
Owner says horse is willing to do right thing, but horse can't figure out what rider wants him to do. Has tried the usual outside leg back, ask in corners etc.
The ask for canter, canter wrong leg, back to trot, ask for canter again, canter wrong leg, back to trot, repeat, repeat, till you get it right approach isnt working too well as after a good few incorrect tries horse gets stressed.
So how do explain more clearly when your on board what leg you want horse to strike off on, if they are confused?
Ideas:
It still says to me that there is something physical going on. The fact that the horse can happily use correct leads with a saddle on loose but cannot with weight on his back says something isnt quite right. Does the horse always choose the same leg whilst cantering out on hacks? Personally I would be wanting to do more investigation into possible physical issues than trying to force the horse to do something that he obviously isnt capable of with weight on his back.
There are other steps I would take later on if things arent found after extensive investigation but not much point going into those as it does sound like in the case described there is something wrong with the horse.
Ideas:
There may be something that just hasnt been found yet, I would also look at the rider - do they need chiro treatment, so they sit at the side, uneven in thier weight etc...
Though it is happening with other riders but if there is an issue with the main rider, it can teach the horse to favour that side because it is used to the main riders weight aids etc...
Also is the horse young and inexperianced? is balance an issue?
Does the horse do it ridden bareback?
Have the teeth been checked? This also can cause a horse to favour one lead ridden....
There are so many causes this could be, so I would make a list of everything u can think off and get it checked - also when you say back checked was this by a chiro? physio? bowen? etc each has there own speciality so i would want it checked at least by a chiro and and soft tissue person (ie equine touch) so that both skeletal and muscluer issues are looked at.
Investigating pressure dstribution under the saddle may be helpful as well as themo imaging etc
Ideas:
Horse I ride had a bit of a lead issue the other month, she had in fact pulled some muscles down her right side (wouldn't do right lead), but that was fixed and then it was in her head not to strike off on the right lead. To get her to do it I rode two-track, well basically down the long side pushed her quarters in off the track, still having slight inside bend then asking. It is then impossible for her to strike off on the wrong lead. I think because her outside hind (left) was then much more engaged and supporting more of her weight. It also means she doesn't fall in or cut the corner as is the case if you just ask for more inside bend.
Ideas:
It sounds like a physical cause, but also try to get rider to ask by leaning back slightly, weighting her/his outside hip, leading the canter with the inside hand and tapping with the outside hand on the horses's bum (as far back as s/he can reach). It's amazing how that can often work, even with horses that previously wouldn't canter on a particular rein when asked "conventionally"..
Any more ideas?
;D
You have a horse, who when loose with a saddle on, picks up the correct lead both directions in canter, no bother. Back and saddle checked.
With (nearly any) rider on board, horse will only canter on one lead, in either direction.
Other people have ridden horse, same result. The only guy owner has even see get horse on correct lead on the tricky rein, is when she brought horse to show, judge rode horse, and on his 3rd attempt he got horse to do it. Has had good riders at a few yards try to no avail.
Owner says horse is willing to do right thing, but horse can't figure out what rider wants him to do. Has tried the usual outside leg back, ask in corners etc.
The ask for canter, canter wrong leg, back to trot, ask for canter again, canter wrong leg, back to trot, repeat, repeat, till you get it right approach isnt working too well as after a good few incorrect tries horse gets stressed.
So how do explain more clearly when your on board what leg you want horse to strike off on, if they are confused?
Ideas:
It still says to me that there is something physical going on. The fact that the horse can happily use correct leads with a saddle on loose but cannot with weight on his back says something isnt quite right. Does the horse always choose the same leg whilst cantering out on hacks? Personally I would be wanting to do more investigation into possible physical issues than trying to force the horse to do something that he obviously isnt capable of with weight on his back.
There are other steps I would take later on if things arent found after extensive investigation but not much point going into those as it does sound like in the case described there is something wrong with the horse.
Ideas:
There may be something that just hasnt been found yet, I would also look at the rider - do they need chiro treatment, so they sit at the side, uneven in thier weight etc...
Though it is happening with other riders but if there is an issue with the main rider, it can teach the horse to favour that side because it is used to the main riders weight aids etc...
Also is the horse young and inexperianced? is balance an issue?
Does the horse do it ridden bareback?
Have the teeth been checked? This also can cause a horse to favour one lead ridden....
There are so many causes this could be, so I would make a list of everything u can think off and get it checked - also when you say back checked was this by a chiro? physio? bowen? etc each has there own speciality so i would want it checked at least by a chiro and and soft tissue person (ie equine touch) so that both skeletal and muscluer issues are looked at.
Investigating pressure dstribution under the saddle may be helpful as well as themo imaging etc
Ideas:
Horse I ride had a bit of a lead issue the other month, she had in fact pulled some muscles down her right side (wouldn't do right lead), but that was fixed and then it was in her head not to strike off on the right lead. To get her to do it I rode two-track, well basically down the long side pushed her quarters in off the track, still having slight inside bend then asking. It is then impossible for her to strike off on the wrong lead. I think because her outside hind (left) was then much more engaged and supporting more of her weight. It also means she doesn't fall in or cut the corner as is the case if you just ask for more inside bend.
Ideas:
It sounds like a physical cause, but also try to get rider to ask by leaning back slightly, weighting her/his outside hip, leading the canter with the inside hand and tapping with the outside hand on the horses's bum (as far back as s/he can reach). It's amazing how that can often work, even with horses that previously wouldn't canter on a particular rein when asked "conventionally"..
Any more ideas?
;D
